George, an elderly black gentleman with twinkling eyes and a florescent white smile, greeted him on the other side of the door. “Good morning, Mr. Stafford. Ms. Brockman asked for me to deliver a spare key to her apartment here.” He tilted up on his toes to dart a glance over Miles’s shoulder. When he lowered his weight back onto the balls of his feet, he winked knowingly at Miles and handed over the key. “I hope the night’s events haven’t been too much of an inconvenience for either of you.”
Miles shook his head as one side of his mouth lifted into a sly smile. “It was no trouble at all.” He dug into his pocket, handed George a small tip along with a conspiratorial wink before closing the door.
“What’s so amusing?” Destiny asked him as he returned to the living room still wearing a smile.
“Nothing,” he responded with his voice laced with undeniable humor.
Her expression wrinkled with disbelief, but she didn’t bother to interrogate him further. “Please tell me that was George at the door.”
Miles held up the key. “Pour vous, Mademoiselle.”
Her face flashed with instant relief. “Well, thank goodness.” She walked over to him and held out her hand.
Miles dropped the copper key into her palm. “Shall I walk you to your door?”
She tilted her head in kind. “That’s awfully chivalrous of you.”
“Let’s just say that it’s one of my many good qualities.” He made a dramatic bow.
“I don’t know about ‘many,’ but yes you can walk me across the hall if you like.”
“I like, I like,” he said with a burst of alacrity. He gestured for her to take the lead and then followed close behind as they left his apartment.
A minute later, Destiny slipped the key into her door and turned the lock. When the door opened, she turned back to face Miles and was startled to find him standing so close.
“Oh,” she said, stepping back into the partially open door. “Well, it has been quite an evening.”
“Yes, it has. I hope we can do it again some time,” he said thickly.
She swallowed, suddenly jittery from the intensity of his gaze. His hazel eyes, as well as the long curly lashes that surrounded them, had always fascinated her.
“Well...good night.” She stepped back again and crossed the threshold into her apartment.
Miles again stepped forward. This time, he took hold of her hand and brought it up to his lips, and gave it a feathery kiss. “Good night, Desi.”
She blinked at the nickname. Her hand—her whole arm—grew warm. And her jittering nerves had transformed into a swarm of butterflies batting madly throughout her body.
Miles’s lips twitched into a smile, and then he turned and walked away.
Rooted by her door, she watched him cross over to his apartment, but managed, thankfully, to snap out of her reverie in time to close her door before he caught her gaping at him. But even then, she stood staring at the back of the door wondering what in hell had just happened.
Chapter 11
Lost in Miles’s sinewy arms, Destiny melted at the exquisite feel of his lips pressed against her breasts. Desire consumed her and she couldn’t get enough of his magic hands and glorious mouth. She moaned wantonly and arched her back in a silent invitation.
Everything about him was rock-hard and a throbbing ache pulsed in the center of her being. She gasped when his tongue slid expertly into her and she thrashed in shameful abandonment.
She murmured his name as heat swelled inside her. She thrashed her head against the pillow. Soon she begged for the sweet explosion that was just out of her reach.
Destiny’s alarm clock blared and she bolted straight up in bed and looked around. It was a dream—but it had seemed so real. She fell back against the pillows and waited for her heartbeat to return to normal as she stared up at the ceiling.
Soon her thoughts returned to her evening with Miles. She thought about his family curse. She wasn’t sure if she believed in curses, but apparently Miles believed in his.
She rolled onto her side and caught the first rays of daylight peeping through the venetian blinds. She admired Miles’s dedication to live each day to the fullest. It was a lot better than moping around and complaining about things she couldn’t fix.
Miles was convinced he had less than six years to live. Who’s to say that she didn’t have less?
“If you hate your life so much then get up and do something to change it.” Lu Jin’s solution filled her head again.
Destiny sat up, a geyser of inspiration erupted inside of her. Why couldn’t she take time to find out what she really wanted?
Then, as if in answer, Adam’s image floated to the front of her mind and her heart dropped guiltily to the pit of her stomach. She closed her eyes in shame.
A part of her knew it wasn’t feasible to try and live her brother’s life, but it was so hard to let him go—even now. Miserable, she climbed out from beneath the comforter and walked over to the window to view the city.
At the sight of so many cars on the road, she wondered where everyone was going this early on a Saturday morning. Then again, it seemed everyone was in a hurry to get somewhere nowadays—herself included. She thought of her mother and admired that she’d acquired a new set of friends and had started traveling around the world. Of the two of them, Destiny was the only one still living in the past.
She drew in a deep, ragged breath, hoping it would help clear her head. It didn’t. She wanted to talk with Miles again. She wondered at how he’d achieved the inner peace he exuded when facing such a doomed future and she wondered if she could achieve such a thing for herself.
* * *
Despite being tired as hell, Miles couldn’t sleep. His mind kept drifting back over the evening he’d shared with Destiny. He would have never imagined that she was capable of such warmth and sincerity. He opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling as he thought about the first time he’d ever met Destiny. He remembered thinking how beautiful she was. She was still beautiful, both inside and out.
Five years ago, I didn’t appreciate her inner qualities; I was just interested in getting her into bed. Now? He shrugged in the dark. Now, I do appreciate them.
Problem was he didn’t know what had happened between then and now to change his attitude. Destiny’s face came into focus. When she talked about her brother or father, she appeared fragile, which up until last night, was never a word he’d use to describe Destiny Brockman.
He sat up in bed and leaned back against the headboard. For as long as he’d known Destiny, he’d thought of her as a fierce and dedicated attorney. Now he was aware there were more layers to her personality.
“One should never assume,” he said out loud. He thought how she responded to his admission of a family curse. Well, after she’d stopped laughing anyway. The point was that she did stop.
He remembered what she’d said: “It’s one thing to go through life with everything being unknown, trying to find one’s purpose or searching for your soul mate, but to go through all that with an expected time limit...”
Miles frowned. Truth was he’d never tried to search for a purpose or even considered looking for a soul mate, despite his mother’s desire for him to do so. In fact, this was the first time he contemplated whether he’d wasted his life. What legacy was he going to leave behind to tell the world that he was here—another boy with an expected forty-five-year time limit?
He shook his head, determined not to do that, never to do that. But there were plenty of couples who decided not to have children. Maybe he should consider finding a mate to spend the rest of his life with—well, what was left of it anyway.
He deliberated it some more and for the first time, he actually warmed to the idea of marriage. He laughed. “Just wait until Mom hears this.”
* * *
Lu Jin arrived up at Destiny’s apartment around ten o’clock with a severe hangover, and then promptly passed out on her sofa a few minutes later.
De
stiny, on the other hand, dressed in a pair of rarely used sweat clothes. Today was the day she was going to change her life and the first thing she wanted to tackle was establishing a good workout regime. She left her friend passed out on the sofa, but was surprised to see Miles stepping out of his apartment also dressed in his jogging gear.
“I would have thought that you’d already completed your workout by this late hour,” she said, smiling and locking her door.
“I would have, but I had this one woman over that kept me up all night. Guess I haven’t lost my touch, huh?”
Embarrassed by the implication, Destiny’s face warmed.
“Loosen up, I was just playing.” He winked and locked his door. “So, what’s this?” he asked, turning back toward her. “You’re taking up running now?”
She shrugged. “Can’t see how it could hurt.”
“Did I inspire you?”
“A little. Not to mention those stairs last night nearly killed me.”
He laughed. “So, how about you take a run with me? I’ll go easy on you if you like.”
“You would have to go real easy.”
“I think I can handle that.” He winked.
Twenty minutes later, Destiny gave serious thought to hailing a taxi for her aching and cramping body. As she jogged next to Miles through the park, she wasn’t even sure if she was still breathing correctly. All she knew was that exercising was proving to be hazardous to her health.
Miles looked over at her, frowned and then led her over to a bench.
Destiny collapsed on the iron seat and heaved in big gulps of air.
“Are you going to be all right?” he asked with genuine concern.
She nodded, but still struggled to get enough air into her lungs.
“Where is your water bottle?” he asked.
She looked up perplexed.
“You didn’t bring a water bottle?” He shook his head and reached for the bottle at his hip. “Here, drink some of this before you pass out.”
Destiny greedily accepted the bottle and downed most of its contents in one gulp.
Miles laughed. “Take it easy.”
Feeling somewhat refreshed, she handed the bottle back to him. “Thanks.”
“Mind if I ask when was the last time you did this?”
“What—jogging?”
He nodded still smiling down at her.
“Well, actually, never.” When his brows lifted in amusement, she went on to add, “Well, there’s a first time for everything, right?”
“I suppose so. But maybe you’re taking on too much on your first day. Perhaps we should walk back.”
“You’ll get no protest from me, but can we at least sit here a while until I catch my breath?”
“Sure, why not?” He chuckled and took the seat next to her.
Destiny finally gained control of her breathing and took a good look at her surroundings. The day was quite beautiful. The weather was not too hot nor too cool—perfect. The grass was a vibrant shade of green and the perennials were a swirl of colors.
“It’s nice here,” she said, admiringly. “I’ve lived in this city for most of my life and I don’t remember ever coming here.”
“I love it here,” he said, nodding to a pair of joggers who passed by them.
“Friends of yours?” she inquired.
“Not really. We see each other running through here every once in a while. That’s the best part about this place—the people.”
Destiny nodded and turned her gaze back to her surroundings. She noticed a mother with her twins—maybe three years old—playing on a blanket beneath a large tree. A second later, a man joined them, carrying a picnic basket.
“They look happy,” she commented without pulling her gaze from them.
“Yeah, they do.”
The longing in his voice made her turn toward him and for one unguarded moment she saw sadness in his handsome features. Then it occurred to her that the family across from them represented something he didn’t ever expect to experience—whether by choice or a predestined family curse.
She was suddenly at a loss for words.
“Are you ready to head back?” he asked in a hoarse whisper. His beautiful hazel eyes focused on her.
She nodded and swallowed a rising lump of emotions. “I hate that you didn’t get your full run in today.”
He waved her off as they stood. “Don’t worry about it. I enjoyed your company much more.” His eyes twinkled.
She smiled. “Boy, you really do know how to turn on the charm, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “Hope you don’t mind. Habits are hard to break.”
Jabbing his arm with a light punch, she said, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”
* * *
Lu Jin was just finished making a fresh pot of coffee when Destiny and Miles strolled playfully through the door. She swore it was a hallucination. She blinked, stared down at her coffee and then back up at the laughing couple.
“There’s no way you’re going to get that motion past Judge O’Brien.” Destiny laughed. “She is one tough lady on the bench and you better walk in there with something more than charm to get your client off.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Humph,” Lu Jin cleared her throat.
Destiny and Miles turned.
“Anyone want to let me in on the joke?” she asked, lowering one hand to her hip.
“Well, I’m glad to see that you’re back among the living,” Destiny said, heading toward her and the kitchen.
“That remains to be seen.” Lu Jin frowned when her friend walked past her.
Miles laughed, and then said, “I guess I better get going. I promised my mom I’d help her with some things around the house. Maybe we can catch up later.”
“Are you sure I can’t interest you in something to drink? I did, after all, rob you of your own water this morning.”
He shook his head. “Nah. I think I can wait until I get across the hall.” He walked to the door, and then called out over his shoulder, “Catch you later, Desi.”
“Sure thing,” she shouted back, and then moved over to the refrigerator.
Lu Jin watched the entire exchange with disbelief and furrowed brows. Slowly, she turned and waltzed back into the kitchen. “I think you’ve got some explaining to do.” She sat her coffee mug down and crossed her arms.
“What do you mean?” Destiny pulled out a carton of milk, checked the expiration date and then sniffed the contents before rolling her eyes. “I swear this stuff goes bad the minute I put it in here.”
Lu Jin’s irritation rose and brought her even closer to sobriety. “I mean, what the hell is going on between you and Mr. Gigolo from across the hall?”
Destiny shrugged. “Nothing.” She went over to the sink and poured out the milk.
“Nothing?” Lu Jin crossed her arms. “The last time I checked, you two couldn’t stand to be in the same room together.”
“Oh, that.” Destiny shrugged again and then went back to the refrigerator. “I guess I was wrong about him.”
Lu Jin waited for more information and when none came her irritation transformed into confusion. “That’s it? You were wrong...after five years?”
“Pretty much.” Destiny flittered about the kitchen as if they weren’t talking about a man whom she’d called everything but a child of God since their first meeting.
“Okay. Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”
Destiny laughed as she poured herself a tall glass of orange juice. “Okay. Maybe I do owe you an explanation.”
“I’d say so.”
“Let’s see. Where do I start?”
“Start with whether you slept with him,” Lu Jin said, pointedly.
“What?”
“Come on. We both know the man has more notches on his bedpost than Casanova.”
“That’s true,” Destiny acquiesced with a nod of her head. “And the answer to your question is no. I
didn’t sleep with him.”
“Damn.” Lu Jin exhaled. “I was hoping to get the 4-1-1 on him.”
Destiny slapped her friend’s arm as she passed by to exit the kitchen. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Lu Jin retrieved her coffee cup and followed Destiny all the way to her bedroom. “All right. We’ve established that you didn’t sleep with him. So tell me what did happen.”
“Well, let’s see. Last night after you left, I broke up with Jefferson.” She flashed Lu Jin her bare left hand.
“What?” Lu Jin sloshed coffee on herself, and then cursed a blue streak.
“You have the mouth of a sailor.”
“So you keep reminding me. I can’t believe you broke up with Jefferson. The man is perfect.”
“He’s a free man if you want him.” Destiny shrugged at her friend’s look of shock. “Come on, Lu Jin. The man was boring. His idea of a fun date is watching a twenty-four-hour marathon of tax laws on Court TV.”
“But he’s gorgeous.”
Destiny rolled her eyes and proceeded to undress. “You’re starting to sound like a broken record. I want a man with a few more attributes, if it’s all the same with you.”
“Like Mr. Magic Man from across the hall?”
“Mr. Magic Man, as you call him, has turned out to be...” She drew in a deep breath and reflected. “To be a deep person and a really nice guy. I’m glad we’re finally friends.”
Lu Jin frowned. “Are you sure you haven’t slept with him?”
Destiny smiled and winked before turning toward the bathroom. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“You better not be holding out on me,” Lu Jin called after her.
With a mischievous laugh, Destiny closed the bathroom door, purposely leading Lu Jin to believe that something had indeed happened between her and Miles. And in some small way, something had.
Chapter 12
Violet took pride in knowing everything there was to know about her son and judging by the way he kept whistling while he worked on the bathroom pipes, she surmised something was going on. However, when she inquired into what had put Miles in such a good mood, he simply responded with a despondent shrug and said, “I’m just happy.”
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